Whatever Means Necessary
by Flameraven1
Summary: What is more important the laws that we live by or the lives of those we are supposed to protect? With the life of a savior in danger a 3000 year old treaty must be pushed aside to save him. But what of the consequences for walking down this path?
1. ch1

I know I said that I wouldn't start on this until I had Equilibrium finished, but this thing has been bumping around him my head not giving me any peace for quite some time. I'm going to put this down on paper, err... you know what I mean... and get it out of my head. Hopefully I will be able to finish one of these soon and I can keep any other lame brained ideas out of my head until I do.  
  
I don't own anything that is going to be put into this story except the plot, and if I'm lucky only one character. Everything else is owned by either J.K. Rowling or the ladies of Clamp  
  
Whatever Means Necessary By Flameraven  
  
Chapter one.  
  
Professor Dumbledore stared out his window from his office at Hogwarts school for Witchcraft and Wizardry and allowed himself a slight sigh. The advents of last years Tri-wizard cup had left him slightly shaken.  
  
Voldemort once again had a body, and although he had made a, hopefully, fatal error in the process he was still a powerful enemy. A powerful enemy made even stronger by the blatant refusal of the Ministry of Magic and one Mr. Fudge in particular to even admit to the possibility of his return.  
  
Foolish indeed, but he, like so many others, clung to the childish belief that if they didn't admit to it, give it words, that it would not come to pass. But as he had told Fudge, he would do what ever he could to combat the dark lord.  
  
He wondered idly if there was a cell in Azbakan waiting for him someday soon. He was adding and abiding a convicted murderer, one of two men to ever escape Azbakan in its history. He had sent his games keeper, a man by the name of Hagrid and the headmaster of one of the finest schools in the wizarding world to talk to the giants.  
  
Both of these acts would be frowned upon once they were known. But they had to be done. Voldemort was coming for a young boy named Harry Potter, of that if nothing else Dumbledore was sure, coming for him to finish a job he had botched almost 15 years ago.  
  
He smiled faintly as his thoughts turn to the young Mr. Potter. Harry seemed to have a knack at becoming everything that Voldemort hated... and longed to be. That was perhaps the biggest irony in this whole sad, sorry mess.  
  
For the most part, the dark lords followers were all old families "pure bloods". People who had no love for muggles. The opposition were either "mudbloods" or "muggle lovers". Rather striate forward until you took a look at who was leading the way for both sides.  
  
Voldemort who's real name is Tom Riddle, is in fact one of the mudbloods that he and his followers hate so much. On the flip-side both Harry and Dumbledore himself were pure bloods.  
  
As such he was what the dark lord wished to be, but never would become. Harry's best friends also would leave a lot to be desired had Dumbledore been from Voldemort's ilk that was. One was a muggle born witch and the other the youngest son of one of the most well known muggle lovers in Britain.  
  
His smile become more real and bord as he thought of the youngest Mr. Weasley and Miss. Granger. A rather formidable team, made even worse when Potter was with them. He doubted any of them knew just how much rested on there shoulders.  
  
But that itself was a problem. All three of them had a death sentience, and it was only by luck that one of them hadn't been killed off yet. And now their was a forth variable. The youngest of the Weasleys.  
  
Ginny Weasley, one of Miss. Granger's few female friends, Ron's only younger sibling of whom he was almost as protective over as he was of Miss Granger. And also now, a friend of sorts to Mr. Potter.  
  
She also was the spitting image of Harry's mother in all things but the color of her eyes. For those who knew both Lily and James potter seeing Harry and Ginny standing together was quite a shock.  
  
And all of them could and maybe even would die this coming year. He would do all he could to keep that from happening. And so he stood there looking out his window, weighing all his options. After a few more moments he reasoned himself into agreeing with his gut, a rather stupid practice as you can reason anything but one he used non the less, and began to write.  
  
A little over a hour and three owls later and he was done. Harry would be at the burrow, the poor house would be overflowing with Weaslys but it was the safest he could do for Harry. Well the safest he could do away from the abuse his "family" was giving him. Counting Harry and Hermione, who was already there, there would be five or more wizards there at all times.  
  
Black, the convicted murderer, and Lupen a former professor at Hogwarts were notified of Harry's location and told to see him once they had finished getting Figg and the rest of the "old crowd".  
  
And finally the last owl was winging its way south-east to Hong Kong. Flying to deliver a message to the seat of power of a certain clan there. It was that last letter that had the highest likelihood of getting him a one-way ticket to Azbakan. For it breached a nearly three thousand year old treaty.  
  
As Dumbledore watched that last owl fly off into the night, he couldn't help but wonder what would make him happier. If it was answered with a yes.... Or a no. 


	2. ch2

I don't own a thing except for the plot. Everything else is owned by the ladies of CLAMP and J.K. Rowling.  
  
Chapter 2.  
  
Yilen Li, current regent of the Li clan, was happy. Her son had returned to her and his sisters after completing his mission in Japan. Even if the old men couldn't see it. Xiao Lang and his Ying Fa had been keeping in close contact by her direct intervention, She would be damned if she was going to let the elders keep them apart simply because they were too arrogant to see just *how* the Li clan was going to keep the Clow Cards.  
  
She let a ghost of a smile grace her beautiful lips at that. "Clow Cards" indeed. The elders refused to call them by their proper name out of spite. *She* happened to like "Sakura Cards".  
  
She would never understand how men so old could have so little wisdom. They were constantly hounding her only son for his perceived failure. One had even gone so far as to sate he should have kidnapped the Card Mistress and brought her back to Hong Kong.  
  
She let her smile grow as she remembered her son reply to that. "Soon, honored elder, there will be no need for a kidnapping." She was convinced that most of them thought he was going to go back and steal them the moment they gave him the chance. As if they would do him any good now.  
  
Xiao Lang, like all members of the Li clan, was blood of Clow Reed and as such could use the Clow Cards. Sakura was the new mistress, the cards changed to feed off her magic, as such only one of the blood of Sakura could use them now. How is it that the elders couldn't see that?  
  
Her musings were broken, however, by a rather interesting sight. An owl was fluttering outside one of the windows of the Li estate, almost seeming to knock. With a flick of her fan and the offending window was gone, allowing the tired bird to drop off its burden before looking for a perch to rest.  
  
Yilen grabbed the letter as if fell, something about this setup nagging at the back of her head. Something important. The letter was addressed to "The Head of the Li Clan". Rasing an elegant brow in surprise she opened and read the letter, once done she read it two more times to make sure she wasn't seeing things.  
  
After a moments thought she headed to the phone for the first of many calls. The elders would have to be told, and then manipulated into doing what she wanted but it could be done.  
  
She was Yilen Li, she would not be denied.  
  
*******  
  
Brian Garrison had known this day would come. He had been called up by the Li clan and his duty was clear. As the most powerful member of a retainer family of the clan he had not chouse but to go where he was bid and do as he was told.  
  
He would have had to even if it had not been traditional and his family's honor had not also been at stake. His life had been saved by the future head of the clan, Li Xiao Lang. It was the one and only time he had ever been abroad, and away from his beloved Virginia, and he had proved himself incompetent of keeping himself out of danger.  
  
It had been humiliating to say the lest.  
  
He was the heir to the Garrison clan's magic. Magic that stretched all the way back to England and Stone Hinge. And yet in his youth he had to be saved by a boy a year his junior.  
  
But he had learned and grown sense that day. His magic rivaled even that of Xiao Lang now. And that had his father worried. As his grate grandmother spun tails of dark evils in the land of wizards. Others of power were found, they too by Xiao Lang. With the Clow Mistress and the half reincarnation of Clow Reed, both also only a year younger them himself, only added to his clans fear.  
  
With only Brian and Xiao Lang alive in the same generation there was far to much power to not require a grate evil, or for one of them to become that evil. With the addition of both Clow Reed's half reincarnation and the new Card Mistress the idea that something dark was coming had become more of an inevitability then a shadow on the horizon that they could hope wouldn't fall squarely on their heads.  
  
But what could require that much magical might? *That* was the question that plagued Brian's father. And it was a question whose answer Brian wasn't very keen in finding. He maybe the greatest Shaman in a thousand years but that didn't mean we was itching to fight something that could kill him in a duel of magic.  
  
But now here he was, sitting on a plan heading for Hong Kong. Summoned by a single word from Li Yilen. 'Come.'  
  
A command given to a dog, and he was in the air. It was insulting. His clan was the strongest magic users in North America, and yet were the Li's bid them go, they went. So had it been for as long as any could remember. And he was no exception it seemed.  
  
What was done is done however, and his thoughts turned form what he could not change to what he must do. He would obey as was expected, but his obedience would be to Xiao Lang and Xiao Lang only. It was scant comfort but it would sting the regent of the Li clan for her impertinence for commanding him.  
  
Xiao Lang had saved his life, and as such he owed no loyalty out side of that debt. Brain shivered a bit then as he realized who else such a ploy would put him under the beck and call of. His Master's fiancée, Li Meiling.  
  
Maybe it would be a good idea to just obey everything Yilen told him... 'Shit! She is a Li and Xiao Lang's bride to be, no matter what I do I'm stuck beholden to her... God I just hope she isn't like I remember her. Please God don't let her be like I remember her!'  
  
And with that last thought on his mind, the greatest shaman of his age fell into a restless slumber. A slumber disturbed by dreams of haughtily superior, red eyes.  
  
*******  
  
Eriol Hiiragizawa, half reincarnation of the grate sorcerer Clow Reed, had been summoned as well. While he wasn't technically part of the Li clan, his position as the brother of the women who founded it did weigh on his soul. As did his position as a friend to both Sakura and Li Syaoran.  
  
'Even if Syaoran wouldn't see it that way.' He mused. His "cute little descendent" still didn't trust him because of the trials he had put his little cherry blossom through. Eriol knew it was more on a moral basis then any real lingering hate. His descendent knew that it had to be done or the cards would have died taking Yue and Kerberos with them.  
  
But hurting the one he loves was not a good way to make a friendship. He grinned wickedly to himself. 'He should be a little grateful in my help in getting him and Sakura together though.'  
  
And now he was sitting on a plane bound for Hong Kong. His magic was needed for something that Li Yilen had deemed necessary to call him all the way from England for, no doubt over the stringent objections of her youngest child.  
  
He hadn't argued much with the summons though. His relationship with Kaho had been slipping over the past few years. It was his fault mostly he thought. He could not leave all of his past behind him as she had. A girl still plagued his thoughts no matter what he did to banish her.  
  
A beautiful girl with amethyst eyes. In his memory she was only eleven, and that was four years past, but still he was hung up on her. Those eyes seemed to haunt him, and in the end they were responsible for how his relationship with the one he had thought was his soul mate had ended.  
  
It was stupid of him he knew. How could a girl as beautiful as she had to have become not have a boy friend already? She was lost to him as he would most likely never see her again until Syaoran and Sakura's wedding.  
  
And yet no matter what he did neither his heart nor his memories would let him free. Sighing the blue headed boy let himself slide off to sleep, to sleep and dreams of sparkling purple eyes and charcoal colored tresses.  
  
*******  
  
Li Syaoran, future head of the Li clan, new something was coming, something that would threaten all he held dear. He did not know what it was, nor was he sure when it would strike but he could feel it. It was almost as if the air itself was shying away from some grate evil that was just over the horizon.  
  
His magic had grown greatly over the past four years he had been forced away from his beloved. He was most likely the most powerful man on the planet, with only his cherry blossom to truly rival him in power.  
  
Why then did he have this chill running up and down his spine? What could possibly be strong enough for him to feel this irrational fear?  
  
Sakura was safe, her guardians would see to that, and he was to be allowed to see her next month for summer brake, and more importantly, her birthday. April first had landed on a Sunday and such wasn't the first day of school this year. He would be tired and irritable on his fist day back but it would be worth it to see his Ying Fa's face he gave her his present.  
  
Now he wasn't so sure. This *presence* what ever it was, make him feel uneasy. Her guardians could protect her, but he would feel much better if he was there to make sure of it himself. The elders wouldn't allow it though. He still wasn't sure how his mother had convinced them to let him go back this year in the first place.  
  
All of this was running though his head and he and his cousin Meiling worked on there martial arts with Wie his man servient and the only real father figure either one of them had in their lives.  
  
A pear of bright, emerald green, eyes flashed through his mind and he was almost knocked off balance but the training stand. As it was, only years of training, his reflexes and his grate skill kept him up right and back into his rhythm quickly. Both Meiling and Wei had seen his slip, and both suspected its cause as well.  
  
There responses were different however. Meiling burst into a fit of giggles. She was after all, better at this then he and the fact the a *girl* had made him loose his focus so easily was quite funny in her opinion.  
  
Wie just called it a day, smiled a bit under those truly outstanding mustachios and told his "Lord Syaoran" he needed to learn how to fight at his full skill even with distractions. A lessen he had been trying to teach the boy for nearly five years.  
  
It was a lessen that hadn't even been needed until five years ago when Lady Kinomoto arrived in Lord Syaoran's life. Wei shook his head, not truly sure if what it was needed. He agreed with Lady Yilen's thoughts that Syaoran was destined sense birth to help and guide Sakura.  
  
Now however his young pupil seemed to have much on his mind. Wei could feel the edges of the oppressive evil that seemed to be hanging like a cloud over both of his charges. If his own merger magic could sense it he didn't even want to think about what Syaoran was going though. For Wie knew, with out a doubt, that what ever this evil was, Lady Sakura was also going to end up right in the middle of it. 


	3. ch3

Chapter three.  
  
As two planes were in the air, carrying two who would soon come into his life, a boy a bit in the smallish side with unruly back hair was sleeping. The boy's name is Harry Potter, better known to the world to which he belongs as the-boy-who-lived. A rather grandiose tittle that simply mente, he hadn't died.  
  
This rather commonplace feat was only note worthy because of the simple fact that he shouldn't be. Living that was. Once, fourteen years ago, when Harry was only a child of one, a dark wizard of frightful power had attacked his home.  
  
As it stood the most famous wizard in the world had been left with out father or mother, and had received an odd lighting bolt shaped scar on his forehead. His slumber was not a peaceful one though, as his twisting and mumbling form would attest too. No Harry Potter was stuck in a nightmare. A nightmare called his past.  
  
Nightmares were not new things of the young Potter. The scar on his forehead had given him some odd, prophetic dreams in the past. He had also been bombarded with almost dream-like memories because of vile creatures called Dementors. The memory of his parents death.  
  
And it was death that was weighting on the boy's mind now. The death of a class mate to be precise. Cedric Diggory, the boy who had gotten the girl that Harry had a crush on. He had also been a fellow competitor in the Tri- Wizards cup that had been held last year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
  
He had tied with Cedric, and that was what was weighting so heavily upon his thin shoulders. He didn't have to do so, he could have quite easily just reached foreword and been done with it. Lone champion, nothing new for the famous Harry Potter.  
  
But no, he had offered to share his win, make it a full Hogwarts victory. And with that act of selflessness he sealed Cedric's fate. The words 'kill the spare' kept running though Harry's mind, and in his dreams. Night after night this had been going on as he lay in his cluttered room on Privet Drive.  
  
But tonight his dreams were changed completely. This time there was a new face, and it was in a new location. The boy's fitful sleep calmed. The rest of the night was peaceful. And when he awoke the next morning to the sight of Pig, his best friend Ron's owl, zooming around his room with the news of his eminent escape from his horrible muggle family. He still retained a bit of the dream.  
  
The sight of a pair of glorious green eyes lingered in his mind. He felt reassured by them somehow. They were a deeper green then his own, a jade to his gentle sea-green. But something told him that the owner of those eyes would be important to his future in some way.  
  
He smiled into the early morning gloom and spoke quietly to himself before going downstairs to prepare breakfast. It just might be a good day after all.  
  
*******  
  
Halfway round the world, a young green eyed girl sat in math daydreaming. She too had dreamed an odd dream about green eyes. Only in hers it had been a boy, a boy with an odd shaped scare partially concealed by his hair. Syaoran had been there as well and it was that aspect of the dream more then anything else that had brought the smile that now graced her lips.  
  
There had been others in the dream as well, but she could only remember the two boys clearly. It had seemed like there had been three other boys and four other girls besides herself in the woods where the dream had been set. She new she would have to talk to Kero about it.  
  
But for now she lingered on the sight of her little wolf. It had been so long sense she had last seen him. Years sense the hope had been created out of the blank card she had made and the void that had been sealed for so long by Clow Reed. Years sense she had finally confessed the feelings in her heart.  
  
They had stade in touch, an e-mail here a letter there. Even a short phone call once or twice. It was hard on both of them. She had grown up sense her little wolf had left her for the needs of his pack over both of their wants and needs. She still couldn't wake up on time to save her life, but she was far less gullible.  
  
At lest she thought she was, it could simply have been Yamazaki was being more obvious with his lies... But she could hardly believe that he could be worse then telling her that volleyball used to be done with coconuts.  
  
The memory made her smile even larger as she stared out the window of her classroom. Her beautiful green eyes sparked with both her mirth and the sunlight. The girl in question held many titles. The Card Mistress was one, and the most important. But her name was simply Cherry Blossom.  
  
Sakura.  
  
"Kenimoto-san?" the teacher called braking her reverie. To which Kenimoto Sakura answered in her own rather unique way.  
  
"HOOOOOOOOEEE!??!"  
  
For once she managed to stay in her chair, not springing up, nor falling out in surprise. The teacher and class, both used to such outbursts by now took it in stride. Although many of the newer boy's crushes went up yet another notch.  
  
As Sakura answered the teachers question she was very happy for the help Syaoran had, somehow, been able to give her over the past few years. Although she still disliked math immensely, it was now, at the very lest, bearable for the most part.  
  
*******  
  
Beside the card mistress sat the object of most of the crushes that weren't directed at Sakura. Daidouji Tomoyo, Sakura's second cosen on their mother's side. They were also best friends.  
  
Although is seemed an odd pair, were Sakura was cute Tomoyo was, to put it simply, beautiful. Were Sakura was tomboyish Tomoyo was graceful and ladylike. Were Sakura was the school champ as any given sport, Tomoyo was widely considers the best singer in town. Yet they were the best of friends and nearly inseparable.  
  
Tomoyo was unapproachable however. Where Sakura got hit on often by those who were uninformed. Be it of her VERY overprotective brother or of her VERY possessive boyfriend, either was enough to scare of most boys. Tomoyo couldn't be touched because of her wealth.  
  
Her mother owned one of the largest toy companies in Japan, as such no mere 'guy' could ever hope to win her love. After all what do you give the girl who has everything? And so she was considered a princess, to far above the mere mortals for them to ever have a chance. It is very lonely at the top.  
  
The simple fact that Sakura hadn't treated her differently at all when they first met, and that she hadn't changed sense was the biggest reason why she held on and treasured her friend so much. There had been others sense then of course. But must of those had been because of her relationship with Sakura, not her own merits.  
  
Of all the people who had come through her life the only one who could have truly been her friend without Sakura there would have been Eirol. And even he wouldn't never have come to Tomida with out her there. Sakura was, in a very real sense, Tomoyo's life.  
  
*******  
  
But the winds of fate and time were still blowing in this world. Might of sorcery would not be enough to win this fight. Darkness was approaching at brake neck speed. The inky shadow of the storm cloud that the Garrison clan had so feared would be upon the world. And soon those winds would rip the anvil off, and the rain would start pouring down... 


	4. ch4

I'm going to work on this one for a bit, mostly because I'm not a hundred percent sure what I want to happen next in my other story. And also because now I've got a Ranma fic in my head and I want to get this one a bit more established before I brake down and start on yet another fic.  
  
Thanks for the reviews, they make me feel rather happy that you all think that I'm a somewhat good writer. A little heads up for anyone who hasn't read my Digimon or checked out my Bio, I'm LD (Learning Disabled) so my grammar isn't going to be all that grate when I misread the spell check.  
  
If I mess up way to much for you to handle please bring it to my attention and I'll see if I can fix it. Thank you.  
  
-Flameraven  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Li Meling stood at the airport with both her cousin and her trainer, Wie. They were waiting for two sperate planes, and two veritable strangers to her. But Syaoran was her best friend in Hong Kong and she wanted to meat the infamous Eriol.  
  
Of cores She only knew his name was Eriol because of Sakura and Tomoyo, Syaoran always called him 'Hiiragizawa' without fail. Meiling knew the why of that too, and she couldn't help but agree at some level herself.  
  
He had been responsible for the penguin park attack her secant to last time in Japan after all. Besides he was the one directly responsible for Syaoran staying and helping Sakura for so long, if it hadn't been for his interference SHE and not Sakura would have Syaoran right now.  
  
And she was here because of Brian. The last time he was in Hong Kong he had been rather fun to play with... and torment. And to tell the truth she wasn't sure what she was going to do when she saw him. Act like it never happened, pick off where she had left off, or ask him to forgive her.  
  
Of those three options she was rather sure it would be one of the first two. Admitting she was wrong wasn't something she was very comfortable doing. Besides she had to have had a good reason to act like that back then didn't she? He must have done something to deserve it!  
  
Pleased with her logic she settled in for a the next few minutes of waiting. Hiiragizawa's plane had just landed and Garrison's would be arrive in the next hour. She could almost feel Syaoran tince up. She smiled a bit at the feeling, it was almost exactly the same thing he did when ever he had to have any interaction with Sakura's older brother.  
  
*******  
  
Eriol steeped off the plane, his senses picked up on Syaoran's aura almost immediately. Eriol found himself a little uneasy thought. The aura he was picking up was immensely powerful.  
  
Oh it wasn't quite as strong as Clow's had been, but it WAS stronger then his own. He was only a half reincarnation after all. He was forced once again to ask himself why Yelin Li would need his help for anything.  
  
He worked his way towards his "cute little descendent." And his companion, a cousin of his if he remembered correctly. She was also the only person in the Li clan with out magic if his memory served. Yet another mystery for him to solve why he was here.  
  
"Hiiragizawa." So he was still going to be like that was he? Fine, Eriol could play too.  
  
"My cute little descendent." The half reincarnation of Clow Reed replayed with his usual infuriating smile. Only this time the remark didn't quite have the effect that he had been looking for. Syaoran wasn't the only cute little descendent here, as a matter of fact he couldn't even be called "little" any longer so he just smirked a bit before speaking instead of his normal angry reply.  
  
"I'm sure Meiling appreciates the complement. Your plane was late and we've got another arrival soon. Shell we?" and with that he was off, moving a just a slightly more brisk pace then was absolutely necessary.  
  
*******  
  
Less then forty minuets latter Brian was stepping off his plane into Hong Kong for the secant time in his life. His senses picked up two powerful sorcerers a little off too his right. He glanced in that direction and picked them out easily enough.  
  
There green and midnight blue auras were more then a bit conspicuous. His eyes didn't stay on them long though. No, he caught himself starring at the girl making idle chitchat with the blue headed one.  
  
She was gorgeous, but once she looked his way, and he saw her red eyes he knew he was in trouble. She could only be one person, and not only was she off limits, she was also a pain in the ass who had given him nightmares for yeas after his last trip.  
  
He tore his eyes from her, stealing himself against her and looked to his 'master'. The look in Syaoran's eyes caught him off guard. There was no way he could have missed how he, Brian, had been looking at Meiling, Syaoran's fiancée and yet he wasn't the lest bit mad, or even jealous.  
  
No, he was amused.  
  
And for some reason that scared Brian, scared him in a way he hadn't ever quite been scared before. It only got worse when he herd a rather loud "Brian!" and was almost knocked right off his feet by a powerful glomp.  
  
It was about then that the blue headed sorcerer laughed and even Syaoran smiled, and Brian could feel the eyes of almost everyone in the airport looking at him disapprovingly. It was all he could do to keep from growling. She was doing it again and from the look from Syaoran stated quite plainly that he didn't give a damn.  
  
*******  
  
Meiling was having a rather nice conversation with Eriol, she could tell why Sakura and Tomoyo, especially Tomoyo, liked him. When she felt something. It was a presence, it was something that she had felt before, and though it took some time for that memory to surface once it did she knew why she had tormented the poor boy.  
  
She looked up at him, and noticed him blush a bit, she smiled almost like a shark then. She was still unattached, even though she and Syaoran had broken off the engagement over five years ago, so it wouldn't hurt anybody.  
  
Besides it might be fun...  
  
So with a gleeful "Brian!" and a flying hug that almost knocked him flat on his butt it began. She had first started doing things like this in figure out why she could 'feel' him. It was very subdued but it had given her hope at the time that she might have had hidden magic like his.  
  
This turned out not to the case, but still there had to be something to this sense she always got around him didn't there?  
  
Besides the look on his face was just priceless. He had looked so serious, far too much like Syaoran.  
  
She grinned wickedly to herself, at that thought. He was a lot like Syaoran, he even got flustered as easily.  
  
She heard Eriol laugh behind her and the boy she was presently draped upon stiffen at the sound. Oh yes, this was going to be fun indeed.  
  
She let him untangle himself from her, and set her down on her feet. He was surpassingly gentle and she found herself staring into a rather amazing set of blue-gray eyes. He was six foot tall and it made her feel like a little girl standing this close to him, his eyes were very serious as he said his first words to her in over ten years.  
  
"My lady." That was it, nothing more. And it had been said with such a cold emotionless voice that her heart almost ached for him. His attention was on the men she had been standing with though, and the noise from the airport seemed to fade away.  
  
She looked from man to man, as they seemed to be having a conversation with out ever speaking a word and not for the first time, nor for the last she was sure, she damned her lack of magic.  
  
She felt something then, something cool, like a brisk breeze on an autumn day fluttered past her, no one else seemed to take note of it, but she unconsciously snuggled against Brian's warmth until the sensation faded. More determined then ever to figure out just what exactly it was about this man that made her feel so funny.  
  
*******  
  
Syaoran watched his man with some amusement. Meiling's actions had even prompted a smile. Him smiling was a very rare occurrence these days, but it had been more out of relief then humor.  
  
His cousin hadn't quite been herself for the past few months. Much of that he knew had been his fault, he loved her quite a lot actually, just not in the way that she had hoped he would. He still didn't think she truly loved him that way. She had only clung to him because he hadn't put her down for lacking magic.  
  
He new just how much one would cling to a friend if it was the only one they had. Another major part of it stemmed from that too. Her lack of magic made her overlooked by the elders for most things. As far as they were concerned she was good only for a political alliance by marriage now.  
  
A sacrificial lame for more money and power. It sickened him, as did the boys who had started coming around for her. They all wanted part of the Li clan fortune, not her, so far she had been able to keep them at bay, but she had seemed to loose a part of herself as the weeks moved on.  
  
Now, its seemed, she was back with a vengeance. He just hoped that Brian would survive the "Meiling experience" as he had dubbed it. The gods only knew how he, Syaoran Li, had.  
  
Brian said something to her that Syaoran wasn't able to catch before his man's formal challenge was placed. It was all in his blue-gray eyes. The challenge of power was a formality in this case, Syaoran would lead in any case but it was traditional.  
  
He rased his magical might to its highest potential, flaunting his power, and daring all who could to match it. He felt Eriol's aura flare, and Syaoran was surprised to see it slightly weaker then his own. And then Brain rased his.  
  
The shaman's aura was green like his own, but a deeper hunter green to his vibrant one. It also had a slightly coarser feel to it then a sorcerers would. As it rouse Syaoran noticed that Meiling seemed to shiver slightly and pull closer to the warmth of Brian's body. He wondered about that, and would ask his mother and Brian both latter.  
  
The Shaman was jus a bit weaker then he was, but in a true fight if it ever came to that they would most likely be very evenly matched. And for some reason a feeling of completeness washed over him as he stared at the tall American boy as their auras faded.  
  
"Welcome to Hong Kong, Mr Garrison. The car is waiting, we should be going." The heir to the Li clan spoke.  
  
"Master Li." The shaman replied with a nod.  
  
"I'm sure you remember my cousin Li Meiling, and this is Hiiragizawa Eriol, a very distant relation."  
  
The Eriol and Brian exchanged pleasantries as they walked to the car, the media flashing pictures of them left and right. Syaoran new, even if Brian hadn't figured it out yet, that Meiling would have a new "boyfriend" on the front page of every tabloid in Hong Kong and most of China and Japan tomorrow. Most would even go father in Meiling and his "relationship" because of her outburst.  
  
He smirked at that, the elder's were going to have a fit. It was a short ride to the Li estate, and it would have taken no more then five minuets to get everyone squared away and ready to see his mother if only his sisters hadn't laid eyes on his two new guests.  
  
As it was it took over an hour, and then the direct intervention of Yelin herself to get the poor boys into their rooms and allow them to sleep their jetlag away.  
  
But with the rising of the sun the next day she unveiled both the letter and what she needed them to do. And so with grim faces three of strongest male spell casters in the world and possibly the secant strongest female set about to undue something that had been done three thousand years ago.  
  
To change the very fabric of a spell in a very profound way. To let one man price the vial that separated the world of Sorcerers and Shamans from the world of Witches and Wizards. 


	5. ch5

Sorry about the time this took to get out. I've had some trouble getting this like I want it to be like. I was also working on three chapters of this at the same time as inspiration hit me, and both my digimon fic and a Ranma one that is sitting in the ruff draft stage in my note book were my homework should be... Anywise, here in the next chapter I should have the next one out before x-mas and I might even have chapter 7 out before then too.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
There are very few things that Harry Potter liked about his muggle life. This could well be true about most muggle born students, for how exciting could living as a normal person be after nine months of magic? Harry however had even less reasons to love being a normal at home.  
  
Now most children at Hogwarts, with some notable exceptions such as Neville Longbottem and Harry himself for that matter, had happy homes to return to. Most had attest one parent that would be there for them and make the time that they were band from magic easier to deal with.  
  
Harry was different in that respect then any other that he knew from school. Where Hermione one of his best friends and a muggle born witch had her parents to help her act like a normal child, Ron had his whole family and lived in the wizarding world and even Neville had his grandmother to keep him happy or at the very lest well fed, Harry had to deal with three people would be more then happy if he just dropped off the end of the world.  
  
His Aunt was one of two blood relatives that he knew of and she had never showed him any sign of affection. And her husband seemed to take a perverse delight in belittling Harry and his other blood relation, his cousin Dudley, wasn't much better.  
  
About the only thing he did like about being forced to live like this was when he got to leave. Harry savored his life at Hogwarts because he, better then most, knew just how lucky they were to be able to do all that they could at school. But for all its warmth and comfort, it was still just a school. And schools were transitory in life, what Harry needed and longed for most was a home.  
  
Today he would be free from the prison that his room at number four privet drive was, and he would be headed to the home of his best friend. He would leave the cold faces of the people he called family and would be embraced by the warmth of people he hadn't even known four years prior. It was this that was the biggest joy of his muggle life that Harry was looking forewords too in a kind of evil anticipation.  
  
In all four years prior of his schooling at Hogwarts, Harry had left in some spectacular, and most likely scaring, way from the Dursley home. The first had of course been when Hagrid had come for him and had given Harry one of his fondest memories. The picture of Dudley running around with a pig's tail could always make him smile.  
  
The second was most likely the only one that hadn't truly been traumatic on his family. That was the year that the youngest Weasley boys had more or lest kidnapped him one night using their father's flying car. Harry was sure they were far more disappointed when he came back at the end of that school year then they had been when they had woken up to find he was gone.  
  
And of course there was his third year. Looking back, now that the threat of expulsion or imprisonment wasn't hanging over his head, that too held one of his favorite memories. He had blown his uncle's sister up just like a rather large balloon. He chuckled softly, she had deserved it after all. No one had the right to talk that way about his parents.  
  
And then of coarse their was what had happened last year. Uncle Vernon was still upset about that little episode. Harry guessed the idea that people could come out of his, blocked up, fireplace and then fix the hole just as easily couldn't sit easily in his simple, boring, little world.  
  
As it turned out Harry was horribly disappointed. The doorbell rang at precisely three thirty that afternoon, he heard his aunt Petunia muttering to herself about who it could possibly be but for the most part he ignored it. No one who would be asking for him would use the doorbell after all. They wouldn't be using the phone either for that matter, Hermione was still a bit weary after Ron's one call a few years back.  
  
He turned back to his packing and as such it took him a few moments before he realized he vaguely recognized the voice that was talking to his Aunt. Tossing his dress robes into his trunk Harry closed the lid before heading down stairs to see if he was right. Sure enough standing in the entry way, asking about drills, was a man that Harry had seen on occasion. Dr. Granger, Hermione's father.  
  
*******  
  
Harry stood there a little bemused by this turn of events. Ron had said that he was coming to get him today and yet Hermione's father shows up, coincidence? Harry didn't think so. Mr. Granger seemed to be curious about uncle Vernon business. Harry suspected it was a ruse but both he and his wife were dentists and Harry hadn't told Ron or Hermione about his uncle's work so it could have been legitimate.  
  
Harry watched in silent contemplation for a few moments before he realized that the adults were not alone in the room. Standing a little off to the side was Hermione in all her bushy haired glory, and across the room from, and making moon eyes at, her was his rather large cousin Dudley.  
  
Harry watched in utter fascination at Dudley's horrid attempts at flirting. He watched as Dudley misread every single that she was giving him and it was all he could do to keep himself from laughing out loud. His sides were beginning to ache from his barley contained laughter when he decided he really ought to go and save her from his over affectionate relative when Hermione suddenly smiled very sweetly at Dudley and said something that Harry couldn't quite catch. What ever it was made his pig-like eyes bulge slightly and an odd look of panic graced his features.  
  
The blond boy's gaze flew to the door and he paled even more. He let out a sound somewhere between a squeak and a hiccup before bolting past Harry like all the legions of hell were hot on his heels. Harry looked towards the door himself to see what had caused Dudley's rather sudden flight and what he saw was enough to almost make HIM run for his room.  
  
Ron Weasley was standing in the doorway using a glare that Harry had thought was reserved for Draco Malfoy, and even then only when he used a rather horrid name for Hermione in Ron's presence. Seeing as Ron had grown even taller and had started to fill out some, it was a rather intimidating look to say the lest.  
  
Aunt Petunia, who had been doing nothing more then smiling and nodding at Dr. Grander by this time, was instantly suspicious that something was afoot, but Hermione smiled winsomely at her and said something before heading towards were Harry was hiding. Harry didn't have a clue what Hermione had said but with his Aunt farley beaming with pride he was sure he really didn't want to know. The glare she was sending his way wasn't the nicest of sights he had ever seen either.  
  
"You could have been a bit more helpful back there you know Harry." She all but hissed at him. Now Harry was used to seeing Hermione mad, but her anger was normally directed at either Ron or Draco and not him so he was at a loss as to handle it correctly. So he settled for dropping his head and a mumbled 'sorry' in hopes it would placate the irate girl before she decided to hex him into oblivion, ban on magic or no.  
  
It seemed to work as her next words were much wormier. Ron who had sneaked in wasn't so easily placated. Luckily for Harry his anger was directed at Dudley, though he did get a small taste of it when he couldn't hide a small grin as Ron muttered something about 'first Vicky and now some stupid muggle...'  
  
Things went rather smoothly from there. Mrs. Granger was out in the car making space for Harry's trunk and with both Ron and Hermione helping and Mr. Granger running interference with Aunt Petunia and only one more death glare from Ron to Dudley and they were off in less then ten minuets.  
  
The friends caught up with each other over the hour or so it took to get to the Granger home and from there after a few good-byes and thank you's it was a quick fluo ride to the Burrow. But what should have been a happy reunion between Harry and the Weasleys went south fast, for as soon as his feet hit the floor of the Weasley home his scar erupted in pain and the world went black. 


	6. ch6

I don't own Card Captor Sakura or Harry Potter, they are the property of the ladies of Clamp and J.K. Rowling respectively.  
  
chapter 6  
  
In a room in the very heart of the Li compound four sweating bodies stood with looks of grim determination etched on there faces. Two of the strongest sorcerers the world had ever known both seemed to be on the edge of exhaustion and the blue headed one was swaying on his feet. To his right stood a women, her face covered in sweat and what almost looked like pain contorting her beautiful features.  
  
Also in the room was one other young man. His brown hair plastered to his head with sweat, and his blue-gray eyes haggard. His shoulders were tense as if he was fighting some vast battle with an unseen foe. Suddenly his eyes screwed shut and a sound that was more of a moan then a scream was wrenched from his lips only secants before the women announced that they were done.  
  
At her words all the people in the room seemed to slump, their eyes tired and filled with worry. At there unspoken question the one who had screamed spoke the words that they were dreading to hear.  
  
"We failed, one got through."  
  
Yelin Li, who somehow managed to look regal even with her mussed appearance looked about the room seemingly deep in thought before she spoke to the boy. "Could you tell who or what broke though?"  
  
Brian Garrison shook his head as he responded. "No, I can't even be sure it was human. It was... it just wasn't right. I've never felt anything like it before, but it seemed to be looking for something."  
  
The blue headed boy spoke then, his eyes almost closed. "Could you tell were it was looking?"  
  
"Yes, Hiiragizawa, it seemed to be heading towards Japan before I broke contact." Brian shuddered then, the experience had obviously unsettled him. As it was he only vaguely took note of the last member of there little party's response to the knowledge of the location that there mysterious presence's destination.  
  
A barley whispered "Sakura." And a quick look to his mother and at her nod he was gone. Eriol sighed then, things would never be easy would they? But with what ever had broken past Brian and the spell they had been modifying looking in Japan, the card mistress would indeed be in danger, and with her at lest one other he called friend.  
  
"I assume Syaoran is procuring transpiration to Tomeodo?" the half reincarnation asked the regent of the Li clan. At her nod, he too got up and left for his rooms to pack, leaving a very confused American in the room alone with the most powerful women in his life.  
  
"What exactly is so important about Japa-... The Clow mistress... he's after the Clow mistress. Damn."  
  
"He?" the regent asked.  
  
"Oh yes," came the somewhat distracted response. "It is most definitely a male. It was alien, but not that alien." He paused then to collect his thoughts, before asking a question that he wasn't sure he had a right to ask. "My lady, why would the future head of the Li clan care about the mistress of the Clow, besides getting back the cards of course?"  
  
Yelin smiled serenely, but did not directly respond. Instead she used a pull rope to call for a servant, and sent the older women who respond moments after to bring Meiling. When the ebony tressed girl arrived Brain was privy to what had to be the most cryptic conversation he had ever heard.  
  
"You called for me auntie?"  
  
"Yes dear, Syaoran and his men are going to be heading back to Japan soon." At this the much younger women's ruby read eyes went wide in shock.  
  
"What will you tell the elders? They can't be privy of this."  
  
"I shall tell them the truth, Meiling. A strong evil prescience is searching Japan for something as such the Cards are in danger. Syaoran is to be sent to bring the cards back into the clan, nothing more, nothing less." Yilen smiled then as did her niece, and Brian was suddenly hit with the idea that he was about to be introduced into a conspiracy.  
  
He was right.  
  
"Sakura is going to need to learn what is going to be expected from her. So as a lady of the clan I'm sending you." She then took a few steeps back and included Brian into the conversation for the first time. "My son must do this, and I want both of you to make sure he succeeds."  
  
Brian managed a confused nod and quickly regretted his decision as Meiling started babbling about how much fun she and "Tomoyo-chan" would have in getting Syaoran to propose. In that moment he realized he had just agreed to set the closet thing he had to a friend on this half of the planet up with a girl he had never met.  
  
He decided right then and there that he hatted his life. Just about then Meiling hugged him in her exuberance, and for some odd reason it suddenly didn't feel so bad...  
  
That was until the girl looked at her aunt and said "Touya is going to kill him!" before she devolved into a giggling fit and for some reason Yilen was smiling as well. It was that smile that made him decide that he had been right after all.  
  
He hated his life.  
  
*******  
  
This decision hadn't changed at all four hours latter as he sat on the Li clan privet jet. It was spacious, more then enough then was needed for the four teens and Wie as they flew into Tokyo and it was the first time he had ever been in what he assumed first class was like.  
  
No it wasn't the plane, or even the company, although Syaoran was, if possible, even more closed lipped then before. No it was the fact that he was sitting there, with a briefcase full of money and an engagement ring in his pocket, and none of it was his.  
  
As visions of what Li would do to him, once he found out he was party to this, danced in his head was added on top of his own normal fear of flight made it a most unenjoyable trip for him. The others for their part seemed unawares of just how close the American was to pulling a William Shatner and totally flipping out.  
  
Eriol was looking at the boy with this, for lack of a better word, evil smile as Meiling chatted with him in low tones that just screamed 'I know something you don't know!' That, Brian was sure, Syaoran would have picked up on had he not been so distracted, and it was because of that distraction, as much as a vain attempt to calm his nerves, that Brain asked Wei a rather loaded question.  
  
Why?  
  
And so Brian learned, he learned of the cards, both how they were captured and how they were changed. He learned of the changes in Li and Meiling, of the risk Syaoran took with Light and Dark, and of the pain he was willing to undergo due to the void. He found himself sending a death glare that would have done Syaoran proud after those last two, a death glare that had about the same affect on the blue haired sorcerer that Syaoran's did.  
  
Which is to say, not much of one.  
  
But still he couldn't being himself to believe that fifteen year olds would be ready for the steep that Yilen seemed to think they would take. The ring seemed to be burning a hole in his pocket, and he had to repress the urge to flush it down the jets toilet on more then one occasion during the flight. At lest the two were in love... or at lest had BEEN in love.  
  
*******  
  
Finally the plane touched ground and they disembarked, resisting the urge to kiss the ground Brian marched on to the waiting car, fully intending to enjoy the ride while he could because it was libel to be the last one he got to take until he was state side once more.  
  
And only God knew when that was going to be.  
  
Once they arrived at an apartment complex that the Li clan owned his teenaged companions tossed their bags in their cosen rooms before almost as quickly heading off to meet old friends and see their old school. Brian for his part merle collapsed on his new bed and tried to sort his thoughts.  
  
That lasted of all of five minuets, he sprang up from his bed and threw open his window, and contemplated asking Wei to show him around town. He needed to move to work off some of this restless energy, he needed to feed the owl that was pecking at his pocket...  
  
He blinked a moment at the sight before him, when the hell did that owl get in? It was a pretty thing, and he had some left over snacks of the plane. "Um, here ya go fella'... hope, ya, um... like peanuts." 'Look at me', he thought 'talking to a bird, I must be hard up for entertainment.'  
  
Amazingly enough the owl seemed to enjoy its little treat quit a bit, and lingered for a moment before slipping out the window as silent as a ghost. Now denied the new found pleasure of bird watching the blue eyed boy turned to unpack. It was then that he noticed the fact that the owl had left something behind. A note, as a matter of fact, a note that had the most extensive address he had ever seen, and one that had him deathly afraid he would have to get on bord an airplane once again.  
  
*******  
  
Li Syaoran found himself unable to knock. Their he stood in front of the door of the Kinomoto house with his hand rased and he just couldn't knock. He really couldn't understand it, he had faced down Clow cards, evil 'uncute' ancestors, ghosts and even a demon during his training but he couldn't knock on a damn door.  
  
Why the hell was he such a cowered? His last time back it had taken running into her, literally, for him to see her, but that had been before he had known she loved him, it should be easier this time shouldn't it?  
  
He scowled at the door as if hopping it would just open and let him pass with out the need to knock. What was he afraid of anywise? He loved her, she loved him, they had kept in touch so all was good there. She could control the fluff-ball and he could take her brother easy, so why couldn't he just knock!  
  
The chouse was taken out of his hands when the door decided it was fed up with the Chinese boys irrational behavior and opened, revealing the green eyed lady of the house. She saw him, her eyes went huge, and then all hell broke lose.  
  
"Syaoran!" this was quickly followed by the mother of all glomps  
  
"Sakura." This with a smile and a hug that quickly turned into a death glare because of..  
  
"Gaki!" this with it's own death glare  
  
"It's the Kid!" also with death glare, although it was far more cute then scary, well all except for the fire behind thoughts beady little eyes....  
  
and then two owls swooped down and dropped their burdens right on top of the embracing couple.  
  
*******  
  
Not to far away three others were hiding, their location only given away by the small squeal of "kawaii!" that could be heard now and again. Tomoyo's van had allowed them to arrive before the reunion and the latest coconspirator sat happily taping the whole thing, at lest until her eye was distracted by the sight of an owl in flight....  
  
@#%#@^@^^#%$#  
  
A/N: Kudos to anyone who knows what the William Shatner crack was about. Or how ever ya spell the man's name...  
  
-Flameraven 


	7. ch7

AN: Took me long enough don't ya think? Oh well, I've been cursed with the worst thing that can happen to a fanfiction writer. And its not writer's block, oh no. Too many ideas! Yes, that is the worse thing that can happen, because you start working on thing after thing after thing and ya forget to go back. I held an exorcism and got rid of that demon for a little while at lest so here's the next chapter. Poor thing was more then halfway done when I got back to it, so it might be a bit choppy...  
  
Chapter seven.  
  
Albus Dumbledore was in conference with his fellow professors. The school year might have still been several months away but there was much to be decided. Everything from balls to up moral and distract the students, to deciding if the risks of having quidditch this year outweighed the perks, to discussing candidates for the DADA spot.  
  
It was this last that was taking up the most time this year. Professor Snape hadn't asked for the job for the first time in recent memory, but then as only Dumbledore knew, he had much weightier things on his mind. So this had brought up ideas ranging from having the REAL "Mad eye" Moody as the professor, to Professor Lupen once again taking up that job.  
  
It was in the middle of a debate over Lupen with Snape, not surprisingly, leading the charge against him, that a small orb in the corner of the room started glowing. This orb was a detector of sorts, every school in the Wizarding world had one so they could locate new students every year. While most schools were tuned to certain power levels, location and such Hogwarts wasn't hindered. It could peer anywhere in the world, and as shown by Neville Longbottom, power wasn't always a consideration to enter the best wizarding school there was.  
  
Dumbledore headed off McGonagall as he had for the past few times this had happened, he knew she suspected something but he really didn't care. New students that were above the age of eleven was going to be hard enough for him to cover, and there magic wasn't going to be nearly close to on par for whatever year they do end up in. And then all of this was going on the assumption that the Li clan would even help.  
  
An assumption that proved to be right as Dumbledore looked at the names of the young people that had set the orb's charm off. Two Li's, one boy and one girl. A girl by the name of Daidouji, another by the name of Kinomoto, a boy by the name of Garrison and...  
  
Dumbledore's eyes went very wide at that last name, Hiiragizawa. The boy had been thought a squib as both his parents had been powerful aurous and some of the last people killed by Voldemort's death eaters. It seemed he had been a sorcerer all along, he wondered if the boy even knew.  
  
Just then, an owl dropped its letter in front of Dumbledore, The old crowd was once again assembled, stands the Potters and the Longbottoms. He smiled then, that twinkle once again in his blue eyes. Ah yes, he knew just what to do now...  
  
He sent the owls soon there after.  
  
*******  
  
Life at the burrow was good, if you could overlook Ron and Hermione's fights and Percy's stubborn belief that what ever Fudge had to say was the word of Merlin himself. Harry found it very hard to believe that a former head-boy from Hogwarts could be so blind, but that was the way it was.  
  
He had received a letter from Snuffles and that had brought about the first of many hard chouses for him that summer, a chouse that he had yet to make. The twins couldn't be told as they were liable to blow Harry's godfather's cover with a prank but Ginny was a different story.  
  
Virginia Weasley had been the first member of the Harry Potter fan-club as she had her first odd reaction at him back in his first year, before she even entered Hogwarts. It had steadily gotten worse from there, only to have seemingly stopped cold sometime last year.  
  
Harry really couldn't say when but her perfectly normal act around him when he had arrived. Well after the whole passing out after the floo trip anywise, she had hadn't put her elbow in the butter, or stuttered, or even gone red in the ear's around him. And for some reason it unnerved Harry to no end. And being unnerved about it ticked him off.  
  
He couldn't understand it, he should be happy, right? He had just lost one of his stalkers and if he could just shake the Crevy brothers he should be in good shape, but no matter how hard he tried to make himself happy about her lost affectionis he couldn't. And so he found himself sitting on the spare cot in Ron's room trying to figure it all out.  
  
'Perhaps', he reasoned, 'Perhaps its just my ego. I mean everyone likes to know that someone out there likes them right? Its just the fact that she over me and its stinging my pride... right? Yeah, that's got to be it, I mean she is Ron's little sister, and Ron is like a brother to me... so she is like a little sister and you can't like your little sister so its not that... Just my pride.'  
  
Happy with his logic the young Mr. Potter turned his mind to the idea of introducing Ginny to his godfather. He wanted too, Ginny and he had become friends over the summer. It had been forced by a number of things, but the main one had been Hermione's and Ron's rows. Now most would think that with the way they went after each other they hatted one another but this was hardly the case. They were the best of friends.  
  
Harry had watched as they would feint and parry and thrust and repose with words, with a sense of wonder the first few times they had done it this summer. It wasn't anything like their normal fights back at school. On the contrary, this had been more like an art. And Harry for the life of him couldn't understand why.  
  
At lest not in the beginning.  
  
As he has started to pay closer attention he had noticed something under the surface. They fought because they liked to, it was a game and Harry had no idea who was wining, but their was also a type of hunger in their arguing too, and it was that hunger that had made Harry look else were for company.  
  
Harry was almost positive that his friends had no clue about how the other one felt, and he wasn't about to tell them. It was too funny it watch the twins tease after all, but it had made him very uncomfortable. Now Ginny hadn't been who had turned to first, oh no, he had gone to the twins.  
  
That week had to have been one of the worst of his life.  
  
He smiled thinking back on it, some of the things HAD been funny sure, had they been done on someone else. His respect for Ron had gone way up because of that week, but he had learned quite a few things. The twins got away with all there pranks because it was almost all potion making, and so there was no magic for the ministry to get in their case about, and the few times they had to "spice it up a little" with magic is was always a very small amount that was covered over by all the latent magic in the burrow.  
  
They had also explained why they didn't use more magic now that they could legally. "If we just used a spell or charm or such, Harry, what would stop someone from using the same spell and running us out of business?" All in all very smart, but still being the trial subject for almost all of their pranks for that week had made him look for greener pastures, and so he had started hanging with Ginny.  
  
It had been odd at first, the only girl he had daily contact with had been Hermione and Ginny was many things, but Hermione she wasn't. The friendship had grown slowly, starting off with inane chatter, how funny Ron and Hermione were, the pranks Fred and George had pulled and then had grown deeper as the weeks passed by.  
  
And now Harry was thinking about bringing her into a secret that could put her in danger of being hurt. And something within him rebelled against that thought. But she was his friend now, and so he resolved to tell her. Having finely come to that decision the boy-who-lived put his head to his pillow and drifted off to sleep.  
  
*******  
  
Harry woke up both latter then usual and alone in the room. He got up and hurried through his normal morning ritual. Today was important, the reason why was in the back of his head but he just couldn't seem to remember it. He headed down to breakfast to find a very pleased with herself Hermione and a rather put off Ron, along with a beaming Molly Weasley.  
  
That was when the importance for today's date hit him. Hogwarts letters time. And that mente a trip to Diagon Alley, Harry smiled at that, his smile grew even larger as he realized just what had set Mrs. Weasley off, and put Ron out.  
  
Hermione was a prefect.  
  
Harry sat down beside his best friend and heard him mumbling to himself. "It's not fair, she was with us on almost all our little adventures, even some that I missed out on and now they go and make her a bloody prefect?" This was followed by an almost absent "Ron!" from both his mother and their other best friend. Harry had to shake his head at that, he was sitting right next to the boy and could barely hear him and yet they knew he had cursed.  
  
Now at first Harry had almost had a heart attack thinking that Ron was jealous of Hermione becoming a prefect, so it took him a moment to realize that Ron was actually peeved that 'they' had taken her away from them during there little adventures.  
  
After all it wouldn't do for a prefect to get caught sneaking around after hours and such now would it? Harry waylaid his friends fears by reminding him that Harry's own father had been head-boy and still part of the marauders. And it had worked, to a point. But Ron's smile still seemed a bit forced when they all gathered in front of the fireplace to head to Diagon Alley. 


	8. ch8

Still don't own it. And I don't think I ever will.  
  
Chapter 8.  
  
The plane trip to England had been more then a bit subdued. Each member of this little party had reasons to keep to themselves, or in the case of Meiling, no one to talk to for any long period of time.  
  
Eriol, for instance, was heading back home to face Kaho, with Tomoyo in tow. This circumstance was not one he was looking forwards too with much gusto as she knew as well as he just why their relationship had failed.  
  
The half reincarnation had no idea how the priestess would react to all of this, Tomoyo coming, danger in the realm of Wizards, and a male retainer of the Li clan who's magic was stronger then all but Syaoran's and Sakura's. How that had slipped past him he did not know.  
  
For Sakura, this would be the first time she had ever been away from her father for more then a week or two when he was out on a dig. And even stranger was the fact that this would be the first time she had ever truly gotten away from her brother. That thought both made her happy, and scared the living daylights out of her.  
  
To make matters worse she also had to contend with the fact that she would be without her guardians for over a year. Kero had been part of her everyday life for so long now that she wasn't sure how she would deal without him there. As it stood if it wasn't for Syaoran she wasn't sure if she would have even been able to get on the plane and leave her nice, safe home.  
  
Brian wasn't in the best of moods either. Japan had been quite a shock to him. Sakura when he met her was not at all what he thought she would be. And Tomoyo kind of scared him. He was still trying to comprehend where the hell she kept that camcorder for someone who, until now, didn't have any magic.  
  
And for some reason he couldn't quite fathom, he was rather happy that Syaoran wasn't engaged to Meiling any longer. He told himself it was because she wasn't really worthy, and it was because Syaoran had never loved her in that way. But for some reason he just couldn't quit get them to sit right with him. In the end he had finally just shoved it aside in favor of brooding on the fact that he wouldn't be going to home to the states anytime soon.  
  
And then there was Tomoyo herself. Sakura's best friend was ecstatic with the fact that she would now be able to help out in Sakura's adventures. Being stuck on the sidelines had never made her happy. Oh she had helped, like with the shadow card, but it just wasn't the same.  
  
On the other hand, she was sad to be leaving her mother. Although they didn't spend as much time together as some familles what time they did was special and meaningful. Her mother was always there when she needed her and they loved each other immensely.  
  
Her eyes drifted to Sakura, and she chuckled. She and her mother were very alike in some ways. Her eyes then moved to Syaoran who was sitting next to Sakura with his arm around her and Tomoyo chuckled once again. She and her mother were also quite a bit different from each other as well.  
  
Her violet eyes moved once more and landed on the back of the head she had found herself starring at for most of the trip. She really didn't know why, he was a friend nothing more, nothing less. Any feelings that might had developed towards him died four years ago when he took this same flight out of her life.  
  
Or so she thought.  
  
Now she wasn't nearly as sure, and she truly wasn't sure were feelings at seeing her old Teacher once again either. She was about as happy that she was in Eriol's life now as she was when they were all eleven.  
  
Which is to say, not very.  
  
The Li's on the other hand were quite content. This wasn't the first time they had been away from their families of coarse. Though the loss of Wie did make them feel a little out of sorts, they were with friends.  
  
Meiling was ecstatic, she finally had magic of her own. Even though it was not the same as the rest of her clan, she was no longer an outcast, fit only to be pitied, not any longer. She and Tomoyo would become far closer as the year went on she knew.  
  
They now shared two bonds, one was of coarse the fact that they each were loosing their best friend to the others, and the secant one was that they could now, finally, be an active member in the team. Someone would have the magic to make a difference.  
  
And then there was Syaoran, who was, probably, in the best mood of his life. Not only would he get to spend the next school year with his Ying Fa, but he wouldn't have to worry about overprotective brothers nor would he have to dodge crazy stuffed animals.  
  
And to make his day even brighter he had someone else there to protect what was his, he trusted Brian. He didn't know why, it could have been the sincerity in his eyes when he had bonded himself to Syaoran all those years ago, or it could have been the fact that his aura was so similar to Syaoran's own. The future leader of the Li clan wasn't sure.  
  
All he knew was that he trusted Brian not only with his life, but the lives of both his cousin and his love. And that was not something that he would easily give.  
  
But none of that, well besides being away from the brother for a year with Sakura, was what was making him smile. No it was the fact that Tomoyo's camera wouldn't work inside the hall's of Hogworts that was doing that amazing feat.  
  
He knew it wouldn't last long, but even a week with out that camera butting in on his and his love's life would be a blessing from the gods. And so as the hours ticked by, and Sakura fell asleep on his shoulder the future head of the Li clan felt contentment.  
  
He could only hope that it would last for a long time to come.  
  
*******  
  
Several hours latter, the Li clan privet jet landed at London-Heathrow airport. And less then an hour latter they had arrived at Eirol's home. The reunion with their old teacher was nice. Sakura still got that "floaty" feeling, or so she said.  
  
Li had glared, more out of habit, they was sure, then anything else. And Meiling was almost as cheerful as Sakura. But both Eriol's and Tomoyo's reactions and actions around her raised the American boy's curiosity.  
  
He stood back as they greeted her, and waited to be introduced. But he could almost feel the strain in the air as Tomoyo and she talked. He half excepted a cat fight to brake out right then and there. And would forever think that one would have started had it not been for a, in his opinion, unfortunate circumstance.  
  
Ruby Moon in her borrowed form came barreling out the door and glomped him.  
  
As this was the secant time in the past week he had been glomped, Brian was starting to think it was the way that Chinese girls said 'hi'. Either that or they had been reading far to many Ranma ½ mangas.  
  
Too bad for them, Shampoo had never been one of his favorite characters.  
  
It was then, after he had managed to detach himself from Eriol's moon guardian, it hadn't been that hard once she figured out he wasn't Touya, that the group was introduced to their first half-giant. And soon after that, via the fireplace of all things, that they were on their way to Gringots for money exchange and some supplies.  
  
*******  
  
The rest of that spring and summer found them at the home of one Mrs. Figg, from there they were put through Wizarding cram school as the old witch forced four years of studies into their heads all in the course of a few months.  
  
But studies were not the only things that they had to contend with, oh no. Wizarding trivia, things they should know from the past few years. Everything from who is the leader of the ministries of Japan and the US, to who won the past few years world quidditch cups. And that had brought up a whole different problem.  
  
Teaching them how to fly.  
  
And so every few days they took the train out into the country. This along with spells using Mrs. Figg's wand, and potion making made for the most educative, and exhausting, summer any of them had ever had, including Syaoran and Brian.  
  
But summer was coming to a close and Mrs. Figg had declared them ready. And so they were going back to Diagon Alley to pick up everything they would need for school this year.  
  
Oh, and of course their own wands... 


	9. ch9

I don't own any of this save the plot. All characters that you've heard of before are property of either J. K. Rowling or the ladies of CLAMP.  
  
Chapter 9.  
  
Diagon Ally was *THE* place for all items magical, well at lest in the world of Wizards and Witches. Everything a new, or old for that matter, student of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry could need would be found there.  
  
Harry and his group had split up, the twins needed some things extra this being their last year and all, or so they said. Mrs. Weasley had gone off after them in a hurry no doubt in a vain attempt to keep them out of trouble, leaving the trio and Ginny to fend for them selves.  
  
The day past quickly as most days spent shopping and trying on new school robes are want to do when Harry, on chance, glanced into the window of Ollivanders were he spotted Hagrid with a group of young people. Smiling brightly the boy-who-lived called to his friends before heading into the shop to great the half-giant.  
  
Only to come to an abrupt halt as his eyes came to rest on a pair of emerald green ones.  
  
*****  
  
"'Ello there Harry!" Hagrid boomed out when he took note of his young friends coming though the door to the wand shop. The huge half-giant didn't seem to take note that the person he was talking too didn't seem to be paying much attention as he made introductions between the two groups of young people.  
  
"...They're transfer students from Hong Kong."  
  
Was about all Harry got out of the conversation though. He was brought back to the real world by Hermione as she looked as Brain questioningly "Hong Kong?"  
  
"Not originally of course." The tall boy in the back of the group stated, from his accent Harry was rather sure he was a yank. The boy just also happened to be giving Harry the evil eye. It was that that made the boy-who- lived blink a few times before he come to the realization that the girl he had found himself starting at just moments ago was holding hands with one of the other boys in her group and he could feel himself start to blush.  
  
"Of course." This from Ron, "Where are you from originally then? And why are the lot of you all here getting wands at the same time?"  
  
Harry tensed at that, yep Ron was still upset about Hermione becoming a prefect, not even he normally had that little tact.  
  
"The states, Virginia to be exact as for why we all are getting wands, well that's a funny story. Take my word for it, never take muggle flights. They lost our luggage if you can believe it." The boy replied with a smile but there was something in his eyes that made Harry suspect that he wasn't being wholly truthful.  
  
"What made you decide to come all the way up here from China?" Harry found himself asking. Only it wasn't the American boy who answered this time, instead it was the last guy in the group, a boy with blue-black hair.  
  
"I had gotten homesick, and living in that big house all by myself gets lonely so I asked my friends if they would like to come along. We never dreamed to all be accepted into Hogwarts though."  
  
Now Ginny blinked at that response, it had been given in all sincerity and with such a striate face it was almost impossible to believe that he was lying but still.  
  
"And all your parents were fine with that, a group of kids your age all living together?"  
  
One of the girls spoke up for the first time, "We weren't alone, Eriol's guardians were with us and now we're going away to a boarding school. What could our parents have been upset about? Though I will admit that school not starting until September was a bit of a shock, we've been out of school since March!"  
  
"March?! How did you manage to pull that off?" Ron was suddenly VERY interested in the conversation.  
  
This time the last guy in the group spoke up, his amber eyes warning Harry off better then his friend's could have ever dreamed of doing. "School where we come from is year round, the new school year would have started on April first but since we had come here during our summer brake."  
  
Ron nodded at that, though he looked a bit pale as if the thought of year round school didn't sit well with his stomach. The yank moved to whisper something into the Amber eyed boy's ear. The boy nodded and tugged gently on the hand he was holding. "Come on Sakura, we're the last ones."  
  
As the couple was fitted for their wands Harry and co. got to witness the largest wand search saving Harry's own Ollivanders had seen in years. It ended with both Sakura and Li in possession of two very odd wands. Of differing lengths of course but of the same materials; Japanese Cherry and Werewolf fur.  
  
Harry didn't quite understand the snickering that their new friends were doing because of that, though he did find it a bit odd that two people would have wands so similar to the other and be that close.  
  
Had he seen the look in Mr. Ollivanders eyes he probably would have had a hard time getting to sleep that night but his mind was one other things, such as were he had seen the girl with the green eyes before.  
  
*****  
  
As the children left, Hagrid stayed behind for just a moment. "Dumbledore would appreciate it if you didn't say anything ya understand."  
  
"Of course, Rubeus, of course." His pale eyes still shining like twin moons in the dust filled shop. Hagrid nodded before heading out the door, the new kids had but one more stop before he was to leave them at the Leaky Cauldron until the train ride to Hogwarts itself.  
  
As the huge half-giant left Mr. Ollivanders sighed as he started putting all the discarded wands back into there proper place. He would say nothing, after all what could he say? He had never told Harry what he would have done had he known what Voldemort's wand would do in the world because the answer would have been nothing.  
  
He only gave people the tools to work their trade; it was up to them to see which side of the line they feel behind. But if there was one thing he was sure of, it was that this year would be a most interesting one at school... 


End file.
